


you’re like water but i’ve learned to cup my hands

by matsinko



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: BokuAka Week, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 05:25:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8832151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matsinko/pseuds/matsinko
Summary: Bokuto and Akaashi break into the school’s swimming pool.





	

“This is a terrible idea, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi whispers into the darkness, a hand clutching at Bokuto’s uniform blazer as he follows behind. He can hear their steps echoing in the school corridor, bouncing off the walls, and it makes him swallow nervously, his fingers curling tighter into the grey fabric.

“It’s okay!” Bokuto reassures and his phone slips a little from where he’s holding it as a torchlight.

Akaashi groans, unconvinced, “When you told me we’re going to a cool place I didn’t expect we’re breaking into school property.”

“Trust me, Akaashi!” Bokuto says with an excited lilt to his voice, “You’re going to love it!”

They make a final turn down the corridor and come to a stop before a huge double door.

Bokuto produces a key from his uniform pocket and unlocks the padlock on the chain that’s holding the two door handles together.

“Where-,” Akaashi starts, but Bokuto replies before he has the chance to finish.

“The captain of the swimming club is my friend!”

Akaashi rolls his eyes. This doesn’t come as a surprise, Bokuto knows _everyone_ ; he’s surrounded by friends. And Akaashi can’t say he doesn’t feel some kind of twisted satisfaction when Bokuto chooses to dedicate his presence and attention to Akaashi over and over again.

It’s almost dark when they walk in, just the small underwater lights illuminating the water in soft hues of blue, lined like little jewels on the swimming pool’s walls.

It’s the first time Akaashi has seen their school’s pool - it’s huge, a true representation of a high school, proud of its sports achievements.

They walk along the edge of the pool until Bokuto decides it’s good enough and drops his school bag, then proceeds to unloop his belt.

“What are you doing?” Akaashi asks, concerned.

“What do you mean what? We’re swimming!”

“We-- _what_?” Akaashi crosses his arms in front of his body defensively as if that would change Bokuto’s mind.

Who is already undressing, sliding the blazer off his shoulder and loosening his tie.

“Bokuto-san.”

“Come _on_ , Akaashi, it will be so _fun_!” Bokuto pleads, and the excitement brings glimmer to his eyes.

It is very hard to say no to an excited Bokuto, Akaashi thinks and sighs in defeat.

By the time Akaashi decides to start undressing, Bokuto is standing above the edge of the pool in nothing but his underwear, the water lights illuminating his skin as if it’s a mirror, covering it in moving waves of blue, slithers of black and turquoise, and Akaashi finds his cheeks heating up unpleasantly.

He has seen Bokuto change countless of times but this is the first time he feels a strong urge to look away, so he turns around and furiously focuses on undressing and folding their clothes into their respective bags, stalling, giving his mind a chance to calm.

There is a loud splash from behind when Bokuto jumps in.

“Akaashi, it’s amazing,” he crows, splashing water with his hands.

Akaashi takes a deep breath before he stands and walks towards the edge, opting for sitting there, instead of jumping in.

“Come on!” Bokuto presses, “get it!”

“I--,” Akaashi stops, hesitates. “Okay,” he falters and slowly lowers his body into the water, then he lets go.

The water engulfs him fully, and he finds himself struggling to go up to the surface before his feet reach the floor. He gasps once he reaches the surface, fingers clutching the edge of the poolwalls. “It’s deep,” he states, trying to sound as calm as possible, hiding the surge of panic, rising in his chest.

Bokuto shrugs, “But it’s so nice!”

He relaxes on his back, wiggles his feet a little, floating for a bit. Then he turns upright again and looks at Akaashi, an expectant look on his face.

“Come,” Bokuto says and beckons with his hands. He looks stupidly excited and it makes something warm uncurl in Akaashi’s gut.

“I can’t swim, Bokuto-san,” he tries to answer calmly, but his words come raspy, hurried. His grip on the side-wall grows tighter, trying to force his worries to the back of his mind.

“You can’t?” Bokuto lets out a surprised yelp, followed by a disappointed groan and his shoulders slouch, discouraged. “And I--brought you _here_ , of all places,” his voice comes high, frustration attached to every syllable.

“Hey,” Akaashi tries to get his attention, an idea forming in his mind, “I-I’ll come to you now. You can hold me up, I trust you,” he forces the words before he can reconsider and that seem to stop Bokuto in his tracks. He looks up, surprised, lips parted slightly.

Silence falls between them, stretches long and heavy, and Akaashi finally eases his grip around the pool’s edge, feels his fingers burn as he uncurls them, the ache from holding too tight settling in his knuckles.

He shifts a little, tentatively lets go of one hand, allowing it to drop in the water.

Bokuto opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. His full attention is on Akaashi, bright, golden eyes staring back at him.

It was the first time Akaashi has told Bokuto he trust him so openly, so straightforward, and he can feel the shift of mood between them, heavy and suffocating, just like in matches when he knows he has Bokuto’s full attention, that he is capable of utilising his full capacity.

Something warm is bleeding from Akaashi’s chest, seeping into his limbs, making his skin crawl with raw anticipation. It mixes with the fear oddly well.

He is hyperaware that Bokuto is watching him, each little movement caught by eyes like molten gold, and that makes him feel heavier, tense.

Bokuto’s eyes almost glow in the dark and Akaashi tries very hard to focus on them, instead of the lack of secure footing underneath.

“I’ll--let go now,” Akaashi breathes and Bokuto moves forward, reaching with one hand.

 _It’s not as scary_ , Akaashi thinks, it’s not scary if he focuses his attention elsewhere. So he pushes himself forward, closing his eyes instinctively.

There are warm fingers around his wrist before he knows it and Bokuto is pulling him forward. Akaashi’s stomach turn as he floats the short distance between them, securely wrapping his arms around Bokuto for a brief moment until he steadies himself enough to pull away, only lightly holding at his shoulder.

Bokuto takes his wrists in his hands and gently tugs him forward until they reach the shallower parts of the pool, where he stops, “See, it isn’t that bad,” he murmurs and Akaashi can tell he still feels bad about taking him swimming of all things.

So he does what he thinks will brighten his mood best - he splashes him with water.

And Bokuto splashes back, a playful smile brightening his face almost instantly.

And this is how a tiny splash ends up in a splashing war because Bokuto won’t back down and Akaashi is ruthless even in water.

It leaves Akaashi tired and breathless, back pressed to one of the walls, laughter still sticking to the edges of his mouth. Bokuto stands in front of him, chest heaving with each exhale, skin flushed a pretty shade of red. His hair has flattened and is now framing his face, streaks of black and silver in disarray.

He looks up and their eyes meet.

“Your lips are getting blue,” Bokuto says, “maybe we should go,” he adds, eyes fixed on Akaashi’s lips.

“Yeah,” Akaashi agrees reluctantly, keeping his voice flat, trying not to feel self-conscious of being looked at for so long.

He helps himself up and sits on the poolside, legs relaxing back into the water. His skin breaks into goosebumps as he loses the warmth of the pool’s water and he shakes a little, trying to get used to the chill air.

Bokuto places both palms down on the poolside tiles and Akaashi watches as the muscle of his arms work to hoist him up effortlessly. He pauses for a second, water dripping from his hair down his body, little droplets sticking to every inch of his skin, and Akaashi finds himself swallowing as he follows their descent from tip to toe.

Bokuto twists then so he can sit next to Akaashi and shakes his head, trying to arrange his hair so it’s not in his face. He threads his fingers in the locks, sweeping them back and Akaashi briefly wonders if friends watch each other like that, if friends can’t force their gaze away and--

“Akaashi?”

Akaashi startles, tries to cover it with a, “I’m cold,” and looks away awkwardly.

Bokuto leans forward into his personal space, inspecting. “Well your lips are still blue!”

Akaashi turns back slowly, shifting his eyes back up again, meeting Bokuto’s curious gaze.

He wonders if friends notice all those small things about each other - like how Bokuto’s skin breaks into goosebumps or how little drops of water are still sliding from his wet hair and down his face and neck. He wonders if friends stare at each other’s lips and think, “ _I want to kiss them_ ”.

It’s a simple thought yet it grows to occupy all of Akaashi’s mind, loud and nagging, and it’s suddenly all he can think about.

Bokuto moves a palm, gently cupping Akaashi’s cheek, a thumb caressing his cheekbone, soft whorls over cold skin.

He seems dazed and Akaashi understands.

“It’s okay,” Akaashi whispers in the space between them, his eyes falling to Bokuto’s lips, “it’s okay, you can--”

There is a loud crash from somewhere behind Akaashi’s back. It’s the doors being thrown open and slamming at the opposite wall.

“Who’s there?!” The old school guard’s shout rings around the hall, bounces off the walls, “Come here, you hooligans!”

“Shit, shit,” Akaashi jumps on his feet in a beat and Bokuto follows. They grab their bags and shoes in a hurry and sprint down the pool’s side towards the back exit, still only in their underwear.

They’re fast on their feet thanks to the countless of running drills, so it takes them less than a minute to run to the backdoor, unlock it, and run outside into the chilly September air.

Akaashi looks behind his shoulder every other second as they run towards the gate at the back of the schoolyard, wincing as his bare feet keep hitting small pebbles and bumps on the pavement.

The guard gives up halfway, just shouting after them that he’s going to find out who they are and they better run.

So they keep running until they feel the burn in their muscles, they keep running until their feet give up and they stumble and fall in a grass patch behind the massive tree, situated just outside the schoolyard in the tiny, local park.

They fumble with their clothes for a while, taking out pants and blazers out of their bags, dressing as quickly as they can. It’s the middle of September and running naked and wet across school was the last thing Akaashi would have imagined doing on a Sunday night.

It’s surprisingly warm, their bodies still high on adrenaline. Akaashi flops back down on the grass, trembling hands struggling with his socks and shoes. His feet feel dirty and gross, but he spends a little time trying to clean them up. He’ll need a shower later anyway.

The park is quiet, murky, only the street lamp nearby illuminating around. The half-full moon is high up in the sky and if Akaashi had to guess it’s well past 10 o’clock. He sighs, forces his body to relax, fingers idly running through the grass. There are a couple of wet strands of hair sticking to his forehead and he shakes his head to arrange his hair.

He looks up and catches Bokuto staring again, eyes like fireflies, pretty and enticing.

“W-well, that was fun!” Bokuto exclaims and his voice cracks a little. He is breathing hard, his chest heaving with each breath.

Akaashi laughs, a tiny huff of amusement. His fingers curl in the grass. Nervousness buzzes under his skin and he licks his lips before he speaks again, “You know, Bokuto-san… your eyes look like they’re glowing when it’s dark.”

It’s a simple statement, a thought that has been in his mind for a while, yet it makes his heart drum in his chest when left in the open like that. He trains his eyes on the grass instead, swallows in more of a nervous habit than need.

There is a soft rustle and when Akaashi lifts his head again he realises Bokuto is moving forward, stopping only a couple of centimetres before Akaashi.

The park is so quiet Akaashi’s heartbeat feels too loud to his own ears. He wonders briefly if Bokuto knew what Akaashi meant when they were sitting by the swimming pool when he said it was okay. The thought makes his ears burn and he feels a surge of gratefulness for the darkness.

“You like my eyes?” Bokuto prompts and his voice comes so different than his usual boisterous, loud tone. It’s small, quiet, careful.

“Yeah,” Akaashi answers simply before he has a chance to reconsider, “very much.”

Bokuto smiles shyly at him and this does something to Akaashi’s insides, a sharp tug he feels with his whole body.

He knows how to handle loud Bokuto, he knows how to handle overly-energetic Bokuto, or a Bokuto who feels down during a game, but he knows nothing about handling a quiet, focused Bokuto, that looks at him like he’s the goddamn sun, soft smile, and softer gaze, feelings warm and fuzzy pooling down his eyelashes for Akaashi to see.

If he reaches-

“Akaashi,” Bokuto’s voice pulls him out of his thoughts, “can--can I?”

A whisper, a plea; Akaashi doesn’t need to ask what, he looks back at those eyes and the confirmation falls from his lips, accompanied by a violent nod, his whole body leaning forward, pulled in like a moth to a flame.

The next couple of seconds pass in a daze. There is a warm palm on his thigh, another one at the back of his neck, pulling him forward and they come together halfway, mouths finally, _finally_ fitting together.

Akaashi has never kissed anyone before, doesn't’ know what to do, what he’s _supposed to_ do, but as Bokuto hums against his lips, a low, satisfied sound, Akaashi presses forward without thinking, fingers searching for something to hold on to, something to grab and pull forward, closer, _closer_.

Bokuto pulls away first, his eyes searching out Akaashi’s, checking, always checking if he’s okay, if he is fine with this.

Such a good captain he is.

Akaashi whines deep in his throat, a small impatient sound, long fingers curling in on Bokuto’s blazer, pulling forward. “Please,” he whispers, “please.”

And that’s all it takes.

They break.

Bokuto falls forward, kissing those lips again and Akaashi sighs against his mouth, a sweet, short huff of satisfaction. He feels Bokuto’s fingers at the nape of his neck, strong and warm, a steady yet desperate press forward into a sloppy kiss, wet lips sliding together, once, two, three times until they separate just to take a breath, then collide together again.

Bokuto has always been a force of nature and he works Akaashi up until his fingers shake and his knuckles go white in the fabric of his blazer, until he hears his own name between the gasps that fall from Akaashi’s lips and takes them willingly, swallows them hungrily as if they belong to him.

When the kisses stop, Akaashi is left feeling soft, pliable in Bokuto’s arms. He looks up, takes in the full blown pupils and the red-kissed mouth, wet and shiny and beautiful.

Bokuto blinks in a daze, laughs. “Wow,” he breathes in all his genuinity.

Akaashi huffs, averts his eyes. “Yeah,” he mumbles.

 

They walk home together, hand in hand, a deep red blush covering Akaashi’s cheeks. He listens as Bokuto chatters away, a happy content smile on his lips.

“Are you listening, Akaashi?” Bokuto says, his voice back to his usual obnoxious loudness.

“I am listening, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi replies simply and that’s all it takes for Bokuto to beam at him and continue his story of that one time when asleep during the captain's’ meeting during Tokyo camp and Kuroo drew a dick on his face with a permanent marker.

(Akaashi remembers that _very well_.)

Akashi looks at him and thinks he can’t imagine a better Sunday night after all.

**Author's Note:**

> writing this was such a struggle!  
> but i really wanted to write something for bokuaka week and yeah, ... this happened.  
> thanks again to [@mattsunflower](http://mattsunflower.tumblr.com) for giving me the swimming pool prompt and for cheering me on while writing! ♡
> 
> ([my tumblr](http://matsinko.tumblr.com))


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